Haribabu vows to put Vizag on global map

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, May 19, 2014: Riding high on the victory, Vizag MP elect Kambhampati Haribabu, is readying to get onto the ground. He vowed to implement all the promises he made during the poll campaign in true spirit and put Vizag, which is the only largest city in the divided Andhra Pradesh, on to the global map.  “I’m indebted to Vizagites for giving me this opportunity. I take this as a responsibility and strive hard to implement all the promises I made during poll campaign,” he told Deccan Chronicle.

In an interview with this newspaper, state BJP chief, Haribabu said that, he would strive to develop Vizag, in such a manner that everybody starts looking at the city for opportunities, jobs and business like how Hyderabad is looked at in the undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Though BJP is not so strong in Vizag the academician turned politician Haribabu sprang a surprise by winning with a margin of 90,000 votes. BJP candidate never won Vizag Lok Sabha.

BJP Lok Sabha candidate, DV Subba Rao in the last elections, could get very less number of votes. He could get only 17,003 votes from all the seven assembly segments coming under Vizag Lok Sabha constituency in 2009 polls.

 “With the help of the Centre, we can make Vizag a tourist destination. There is lot of tourism potential in the state, especially Vizag. Tourism also brings in so many job opportunities. Besides, tourism, IT sector can also be strengthened and developed in Vizag.  I will personally go and persuade big players in IT sector to set up their operations here. My goal is to achieve at least Rs 10,000 cr worth IT exports in the next 3 years from Vizag,” he said.

 Haribabu, who is being called, a giant killer for defeating, YSRC honorary president, YS Vijayalakshmi, also said that, state BJP would ask Narendra Modi to sanction 5 smart cities to the successor state of Andhra Pradesh as part of the Gujarat Chief Minister’s promise to build 100 smart cities across the country having the best infrastructure facilities.

He further promised to bring in ring road on the lines of Outer Ring Road (ORR) for better connectivity to trigger growth in the region.  He also vowed to take steps to make the city pollution free. 

Haribabu batted for decentralized development and administration in the new state and expressed the view of increasing the present 13 districts to 25 for administrative convenience for better overall development.